Tejasswi Prakash was once mocked as a 'chubby' engineer. How she became a TV heartthrob and 'Naagin'

Tejasswi Prakash, now a household name and one of the most loved faces on Indian television, did not always dream of stardom. Long before she became the face of shows like Swaragini and Naagin, she was just another engineering student with a strict plan—study hard, get good marks, earn a degree, and settle into a 9-to-5 job.

In a feature by Humans of Bombay, Tejasswi opened up about her journey, which had nothing to do with fame or the camera. “I had always been this studious girl whose plan was set—good marks, an engineering degree, and a 9-5 job,” she said. Acting wasn’t even on the list.

Humiliation Sparked a New Beginning

During her time in engineering college, she was body-shamed by peers. “People would call me ‘Chubby’ and laugh at my body type,” she shared. But the moment that changed everything came during a college fest when she decided to clean a messy stage. A photo was taken of her doing so and uploaded online with the caption: “Tejasswi doing what she is best at.”

“I felt so insulted; I ran home and cried…the entire night,” she said. But instead of letting it break her, that moment became her turning point. “That night, I felt the need to prove myself to the world.”

The Unexpected Start

On a whim, Tejasswi participated in a college beauty pageant, despite having no modeling experience. “I didn’t even know the ABC of modeling,” she admitted. Shockingly, she won. “When the host announced, ‘The winner is Tejasswi Prakash,’ I was so shocked. Main? Kaise?” Her win caught attention, and the next day, she received a call for a TV show audition.

Her first audition didn’t go as planned. “The team told me, ‘It is not an elocution.’ I understood, yeh toh nahi hoga mujhse.” But soon after, she was called back and landed a lead role in Swaragini at just 17.

Tejasswi had no acting background. “The retakes, rehearsals, and long hours…the show taught me everything,” she revealed. But her dedication paid off. She quickly became a familiar face on television, and when she returned to college, the same people who once mocked her now asked for photos.

Rise to Stardom

After Swaragini, there was no looking back. Tejasswi appeared in multiple shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi, Karn Sangini, and Celebrity MasterChef. “I worked on multiple shows... and was even called ‘The Queen of Reality Shows,’” she said in an Instagram video.

One of her most notable wins was Bigg Boss, which further catapulted her popularity. She also played the lead in Naagin, one of Indian television’s most iconic fantasy dramas. “Gradually, as more opportunities came my way, I became that ‘Naagin’ girl—the girl who’d banter with Rohit Shetty, and the girl whose dish made it to Vikas Khanna’s Michelin Star Restaurant,” she said.

Despite her success, online criticism didn’t stop. “Log ab bhi troll karte hain—kabhi mere kapdon pe, kabhi mere baaton pe,” she admitted. But the Tejasswi of today is unfazed. “Pehle affect hota tha, ab nahi. Kyunki yeh kahani meri hai, and main iss kahani ki heroine hun!”

Back at college, her fame turned the tables. “The same people who bullied me were now running after me for photographs,” she said. Slowly but surely, Tejasswi became a household name. As she said, “Jaise episodes air hote rahe, I became a household name and love started pouring in.”

Tejasswi’s story sparked massive support online. Fans called her a “Queen,” “an inspiration,” and “a born star.” Some praised her honesty, while others applauded her rise. One user summed it up best: “She knew nothing about modeling but she won, she knew nothing about acting but her first show got hit.”